Salt, CVD and Cancer

Sodium intake as a whole salt equivalent may not increase the risk of cancer but may increase that of cardiovascular disease (CVD); and in contrast, salted food intake may increase the risk of cancer, according to a study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2009;DOI:10.3945/ajcn.2009.28587).During 1995 to 1998, a validated food-frequency questionnaire was administered to 77,500 men and women aged 45 to 74 years. During up to 598,763 person-years of follow-up until the end of 2004, 4476 cases of cancer and 2066 cases of CVD were identified.

Higher consumption of sodium was associated with a higher risk of CVD but not with the risk of total cancer: multivariate hazard ratios for the highest compared with lowest quintiles of intake were 1.19 for CVD and 1.04 for total cancer. Higher consumption of salted fish roe was associated with higher risk of total cancer, and higher consumption of cooking and table salt was associated with higher risk of CVD. Similar results were seen for the risk of gastric or colorectal cancer and stroke. Our findings support the notion that sodium and salted foods have differential influences on the development of cancer and CVD.